


At A Glance

by Bluejay20



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Depression, Gen, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 21:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11135484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluejay20/pseuds/Bluejay20
Summary: At glance, Lance was happy. Lance was brave. Lance was strong.But people can be deceiving, Keith decided.If you only take a glance.





	At A Glance

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: References to self harm, and a suicide near the ending. Not detailed, but its still there.

At a glance, he was seen as a good for nothing jokester.

 

His eyes continued to sparkle even through the worst of times, his mouth stretched into a smirk when awful jokes slipped past his lips during the most unforgiving moments. He was a jokester…

 

He was a joke-

 

No. He created jokes himself, he enjoyed life to the fullest. He smiled everyday, ignoring the crushing reality that they may never see earth again. He may never see his family again, and despite this he smiled.

 

Perhaps that’s why Keith hated him, borderline admired him (although he’d never say it). But he was strong, the world’s security on his shoulders and Lance remained a playful little shit he was. He was emotionally stronger than anyone.

 

Or so, that’s what you saw when you took a glance.

 

At another glance - Lance was a flirt.

 

He could charm anyone, of any gender, of any species.

 

During meetings with others, he’d throw his arm around whomever he was talking to and flash that drop dead gorgeous smile that caused Keith to become more irritated than normal.

 

The two would whisper to each other, giggle with each other, hardly paying attention to what was happening. More often than not, they’d leave only to come back disheveled and out of breath. Anyone could figure out what was going on.

 

However in the end, Lance always left and never returned despite his promises.

 

He was flirt, a player.

 

But that's what you saw when you took a glance.

 

During another glance - he’s a monster, with a borderline urge to kill anyone who dares to stand in his path.

 

he’s a natural leader, although once again Keith would never admit that. Keith would keep that to himself, but he couldn’t deny the truth.

 

Lance was a leader.

 

He was solider.

 

Behind that smile was man whose destiny was to return home to his mother, to his friends who remained on earth.

 

A man whose sole purpose was to live.

 

You could see it every time he stared done an enemy in the face. Keith, Pidge, Hunk and even Shiro sometimes had a look of remorse on their face as they shot down their enemies. As they fell to the ground with a large thud, they were remorseful.

 

Killing a life, regardless of who, was emotionally taxing.

 

At least, on everyone but Lance.

 

He shot them down without a moment of hesitation, _without a glance_. He aimed the gun, narrowed those dark brown eyes of his, and pulled the trigger.

 

Hitting his target the entire time.

 

This wasn’t the face of a man who hated what he was doing. Lance didn’t share the same emotions as the rest of his team, the only thing that bubbled within him was a burning desire to kill.

 

They were living in a dog eat dog world.

 

And he’d be damned if he was the one to die out there.

 

Keith could pretend he was strong, he could create an angry facade to hide his insecurity. But Lance, no Lance was different.

 

Lance was mentally strong, Lance could withhold the deaths he caused.

 

Or so, that’s what you saw when you took a glance.

 

When Keith took a glance, Lance saw someone who’d put his life on the line for his teammates.

 

Keith included.

 

He’d often find Lance curled up next to Pidge, murmuring words of comfort into her ear at her missing her brother. He would wrap her in a blanket burrito and rock her gently while singing a lullaby in Spanish. Lulling her into a comforting sleep.

 

The next morning, they’d be in the same position.

 

Sometimes he’d walk into the kitchen during late hours of the night, Hunk near tears and Lance with a soft, comforting smile. Hunk would confide in Lance about feeling an unneeded part of the team, in which Lance would jump to list all the things needed about Hunk.

 

Lance would stay there as long as Hunk needed him.

 

Keith even ran into an emotional conversation between him and Allura. Lance, unlike previous times, would not be flirting with her. This time instead opting to watch her speak animatedly with large arm movements. His eyes would never leave hers, his mouth would never open up to interrupt.

 

During the morning after, Lance and her would share a knowing glance and then continued on how they acted with the rest of the crew.

He even comforted Keith when Keith least expected him to.

 

It was one time, far less frequent than the others. However, it happened with his so called rival.

 

During a particularly bad nightmare, Keith was shook awake by Lance himself and a worried expression etched across his entire face.

 

After a few moments of bickering, Lance slipped underneath the covers and pressed Keith against him. So close that Keith could hear Lance’s calm beating heart within the confinements of his chest. And although, once again, he hated to admit it, it soothed him.

 

Lance soothed everyone.

 

That night Keith asked that if being everyone’s therapist was tiring, he asked if Lance needed support from someone.

 

Lance only smiled.

 

After that night, they never spoke of it again. In all honesty, they never talked to each other in such comforting fashion ever in this lifetime.

 

Lance could fix the pieces that fell off of others without losing his own.

 

But that was only at a glance.

 

More glances at Lance would reveal something more sinister, however.

 

If you could catch him without his infamous jacket, or his uniform, or any long sleeved shirt, you’d see the marks that littered up and down his arms. You’d see the wounds that were most definitely not war scars contrast harshly against his dark skin in whites, and pinks and reds.

 

He was asked about it one day.

 

Coran, probably ignorant of this earthly topic, asked about the marks on his arms over dinner one night..

 

Pidge froze, Hunk gaped, Shiro’s eyes narrowed worriedly in Lance’s direction, and Allura slyly mentioned that she was wondering about that issue too.

 

Lance snickered into his hand, before waving said hand dismissively.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Coran,” he smirked, “You must be getting old.”

 

The group laughed at the comment, and left it at that.

 

But Keith, Keith was sure what he saw. He saw what Coran and Allura saw, he noticed as well.

 

Or maybe, maybe he took too quick of a glance.

 

Perhaps glances should’ve been longer, that personality everyone loved oh so much should’ve been questioned. Perhaps Lance shouldn’t have been left alone the night he stated he wanted to die.

 

At a glance, you’d think he was joking.

 

His nose scrunched up, his mouth in a smirk as he always did when he told a not so favorable joke. Shiro reprimanded him for it, Allura and Coran were confused by the nature of his suicidal joke, but Pidge and Hunk remained none the wiser and laughed it out.

 

Keith would’ve smart mouthed a comment, but he was glad he didn’t.

 

Because that day, he didn’t take a glance.

 

He stared directly into Lance’s eyes, and Lance knew he was caught.

 

His eyes betrayed him, and sincerity laid behind those deep brown eyes. Lance had knew what he was talking about, Keith knew, and now Lance knew that Keith knew that he knew.

 

And it was a terrible circle that made Keith’s head spin.

 

So he left.

 

He left without a glance.

 

Waking up that fateful night at two in the morning wasn’t something he wanted to do, but his body urged him forth anyway. He stumbled out of the room, and took the familiar trek towards Lance’s.

 

To make sure he’s okay, he told him. It’s just a gonna be a glance.

 

One glance into Lance’s room turned into a frightful scream which melted into a pitiful sob, waking everyone in the ship up.

 

Lance laid, blood spilt, and Keith was certain he did this to himself.

 

He wish he only glanced.

 

But now his eyes bored into the scene shown to him.

 

Shiro was the first to arrive on the scene, rushing past Keith - almost knocking him out of the way - and began quickly grabbing blankets to wrap around his wounded arm.

 

Pidge and Hunk showed up, soon followed by Allura and Coran. However, the former took the scene just as bad - if not worse - than Keith did.

 

Pidge fell to the ground with a shriek, her body shaking in tremors and she saw that person who she told everything to, get carried off by Coran and Shiro to the medical room not so far down. Hunk remained still beside Keith, never taking his eyes off his best friend. Even when Lance’s almost soulless body left the room, Hunk’s eyes remained on the bloodstained bed.

 

The operation proved brutal, the blood seemed to be never ending. However, it finally did stop. Lance’s body limp, heart faintly beating, and his life was question on whether or not he’d be able to continue it.

 

In a few moments, Shiro and Coran were going to place Lance in a pod, and the team were going to wait to see if he’d ever wake up again.

 

“The pods can only do so much,” Coran had stated mournfully as he washed his hands clean of blood, “It’s up to him now,”

 

Keith sat with the rest of the group around Lance’s still body. He watched as tears slipped down their face. For the person who held it together the most, had been the most broken.

 

At glance, Lance was happy. Lance was brave. Lance was strong.

 

But people can be deceiving, Keith decided.

 

If you only take a glance.


End file.
